Locomotive reversing-gear mechanism.



H. HELIVIHOLIZ & C. C. BERTRAIVI. LOCOIVIOTIVE REVERSING GEAR MECHANISIVI.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7, 1916.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

lz Hen/3l ENRY HELMHOLTZ CLJENCJE C. BERTRM, 0F CHJICG, 1111111013.

LOCOMOTVE REVERSING-GIEAR MECHANISM.

Application tiled April 7, 1916. Serial No. tama."

To all whom'z't may concern Be it known that we, HENRY HELMHOLTZ and CLARENCE C. lBERTnAM, citizensof the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locomotive Reversing-Gear Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

@ur invention relates to valve gear operating mechanism, and has for one of its objects, the provision of simple and eflicient fluid operable means for operating valve gears of locomotives, and the like.

A further object of our invention is the provision of such a valve gear operating means which is always locked against movesections taken on lines 5 5, '6 6 and 7 7.

respectively of Fig. 1.

1n the operation of locomotives, and especially of the larger types, a great deal of force is required to move or shift the valve gears of such locomotives. Uur invention is designed to provide means for operating such valve gears by the use of compressed air or steam, and at the saine time provide operating means which will be locked against the influence of the valve gear mechanism, thereby preventing any movement of the 'valve gear from being transmitted to the duid operable means, and locking the valve gearin positions in which it is set.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, we have shown two fluid operable cylinders 10, each having a piston 11 therein, and the two pistons connected together for simultaneous movement by means of a piston rod 12. Ilhese members are adapted for use with compressed air or steam, or other suitable fluid,las will be readily understood. We have shown the piston rod 12 as being operfated by two cylinders and pistons, but it will be readily understood that any other desired number may be used to operate the piston rod. ln the fomn shown, the cylinders Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. 12, 1916..

llt `l Flll 10 are each provided with a duid supply passage 13. The passages 13 extend along the sides of the cylinders and open into the latter, as at' 11, at the remote ends thereof. rlhis provides means whereby the fluid acts on but one side of each of the pistons. Therefore to move the piston rod in one direction, the fluid presses against one piston, and to move the piston rod in the other direction, the fluid presses against the other piston. The passages 13 at their adjacent ends open through ports 15 into a valve chest 16. T he valve chest 16 is provided with a supply pipe 17 which is adapted to bring the working fluid to the valve chest, from whence it passes to the cylinders as needed.

ln the valve chest are provided two disk valves 18 and `19. rl`he disk valve 18 is provided with a hollow stem 20, which extends out through the valve chest 16 for operating said valve, and the valve 19 is provided with a stem 2l, which extends out through the hollow stem 20, and is adapted to control saidvalve 19. The valve 18 is provided with an opening 22, which extends entirely therethrough, and is adapted to permit the passage of fluid from the interior of valve chest 16 through said valve at all times. ln the valve 19 are two openings 23, which extend entirely through the valve 19, and are adapted to always be in register with the ports 15 of passages 13. rl`he distance between the openings v23 is slightly greater thanv the length of the opening 22, so that when the valves 18 and 19 are in their normal positions, there will be a lap of said valves between they openings 22 and 23,which prevents the passage of fluid through said valves. Upon valve 19 bein moved in one direction, the opening 22 wil register with one of the openings 23, permitting the fluid to pass from the valve chest through the valves into one of the passages 13, to exert a force on the corresponding piston 11, as will be readily understood. ln'moving the valve 19 in the opposite direction, the opening 22 is adapted to register with the other opening 23 of valve 19 to cause the fluid to exert a force on the 'other piston to move the piston rod in the other direction. The valve 18 is provided with an arcuate recess 24, as clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and 8, which is of a length to always register with an arcuate slot 25 in the valve 19. and the latter is ot' a length to always register with an exhaust port 26 in the valve chest 16. The arrangement is such that when opening 22 of valve 18 is registering with one of the openings 23 in valve 19 to feed the working fluid to one of the cylinders 10, the other opening 23 of valve 19 is registering with the recess 2-i`to permit exhausting fluid from the other of the cylinders l0.

The piston rod 12 is provided with a slot 27 which is substantially parallel with the axis of the piston rod, and the adjacent ends 10' of the cylinders 10 are provided with feathers 28, which' slide in the groove 27 as the piston rod moves longitudinally. rlhis arrangement prevents rotation of the piston rod during movements thereof. The ends 10 of the cylinders are provided with recesses 29 which form journals for a worm 30 which is mounted around the piston rod 12 and subs antially concentric with the axis thereof. he worm 30 is provided with a feather 31 which is slidably mounted in a spiral groove 32 in the piston rod 12 so that longitudinal movement of the piston rod 12 causes rotation of the Worm 30. The pitch of the spiral groove 32 may be any desired pitch, but we preferably make the pitch of said vgroove sufficient to turn the .worm 30 one complete revolution during the entire longitudinal movement of the piston rod l2 in one direction.

Mounted on the cylinder 10, or any other convenient position, are bearing members 33 in which is mounted a shaft 34, and on said shaft isa worm gear 35 which meshes with the worm 30. The worm gear 35 may be a complete worm gear, or only a section thereof. as indicated in Fig. 1. Connected to move with the worm gear or made integrally with, as preferred, is a lever 36 which is connected by a connecting link 37 to the valve gear of the locomotive, not shown. From this arrangement then it will be seen that upon the piston rod 12 moving longitudinally thereof, worm 30 and worm gear 35 will be rotated to move lever 36 and connecting link 37. and the latter will be moved corresponding to the amount of movement of the piston rod 12. Since the worm 30 and worm gear 35 are connected in the manner indicated in Fig. 1. any tendency of the valve gear to be moved by the action of the engine or locomotive, will be locked. Furthermore, the particular connection between the worm 30 and piston rod 12 provides another lock which would prevent movement of the valve gear by force ap )lied on the valve gear in operation of the ocomotive.

The valve 19 is adapted to be manually controlled. A connecting rod 38 is connected with a lever 39. which is rigidly secured on the shaft 21 to effect movement of the valve 19. The connecting rod 38 is carried to a point within reach of the engineer and provided with any suitable levers, not

shown, for controlling the same. When it is desired to operate the device, the engineer moves the connectin rod 38 which moves the valve 19 to estab ish communication between the interior of the valve chest 16 and the cylinders, as above referred to. The valve 18 is vprovided on its stem 20 with a lever 39, which is connected by means of a connecting link 40, with a lever 4:1 rigidly secured to the shaft 3 4 in a manner so that when the worm gear 35 is moved by the piston rod, the valve 18 will be moved simultaneously. The arrangement is such, that when the engineer moves the valve 19 a distance corresponding to the amount` of the change in the valve gear setting which he desires, operating fluid will be fed into the proper cylinder to move the piston rod, which in turn moves the worm, worm gear, lever 36 and connecting rod 37 to move the valve gear mechanism. This movement also moves the lever 41 which is connected with the valve 18, bringing the valve 18 again into normal relation with the valve 19, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3, when the valve gear mechanism has been brought to its new position. Movement of the valve 19 in either direction from its normal position, shown in Fig. 3, causes the piston rod to be moved in a corresponding direction, and the connection between the piston rod and the valve 18 causes movement of the piston rod to bring the valve 18 again into normal relation with the valve 19 regardless of which direction or the distance valve 19 is manually moved from its normal position within its regular movements.

lVhile we have described and illustrated the preferred form of our invention we do not desire to be limited to the precise form shown but desire to avail ourselves of all the variations and changes that come within ythe appended claims.

lWe claim l. A valve gear operating mechanism comprising a longitudinally mc vable rod having a spiral groove therein: means for moving the rod: a worm journaled around said rod with its axis substantially concentric with the axis of the rod: a feather secured to the worm and slidably mounted in the groove. a worm wheel meshing with the worm; and a valve gear connecting link operatively connected with the worm wheel.

2. valve gear operating mechanism comprisng a longitudinally slidable rod; a worm: a connection between the rod and the worm for transmitting movement kinematically from the rod to the worm a worm gear meshing with the worm; a lever connected with the worm gear; and a valve gear oonnecting rod connected with the lever.

3. A valve gear operating mechanism coms prising a c vlinder: a piston in the cylinder: a piston rod connected with the piston, ex-

recette tending from the cylinder and having a spi- .ral groove therein; an oscillatory lever; a

worm rotatably mounted about the piston rod; a feather' on the worm and slidablyT mounted in said groove; a worm gear meshing with the worm and connected with the oscillatory lever; a valve connected with the cylinder for controlling the operation ot said piston; and a'connection between said worm gear and said valve adapted to close the latter.

t. A valve gear operating mechanism comprising two alining cylinders; a piston in each cylinder; a piston rod connecting the pistons and having a spiral groove therein; a worm gear journaled about the piston rod substantially coaxial therewith; a connection between the piston rod and said spiral gear causing longitudinal movement of the piston rod to rotate the worm; a worm gear meshing with the worm; and a connecting rod connected with the worm gear adapted to be operated thereby.

5. A valve gear operating mechanism comprising a cylinder; a piston in the cylinder; a piston rod connected with the piston and having a spiral groove therein; a worm having a splined connection with said spiral groove; a worm gear meshing with the worm; a valve gear connecting rod connected with the worm gear; a valve chest connected with the cylinder; two valves in the valve chest; a manually operable means connected withone of the valvesior moving the latter to establish communication between the valve chest and cylinder; and a connection between the worm gear and the other valve tor moving the latter to cut od' communication between the valve chest and cylinder.

6. A valve gear operating mechanism comprising a cylinder; a piston in the cylinder; a piston rod connected with the piston and having a spiral groove and a straight longitudinal groove therein; means extending in said straight groove and locking the piston rod against rotation; a worm Journaled around the piston rod and splined to the splral groove for rotating the worm upon longitudinal movement ot' the piston rod; a worm gear meshing with the worm; and a valve gearconnecting rod connected with the worm gear.

7. Valve gear operating mechanism comprising a cylinder; a piston mounted in the cylinder; a worm; a connection between the piston and worm causing longitudinal movement of the piston to rotate the worm; a worm gear meshing with the worm; and a valve gear connected with the worm` gear.

8. lin combination, a rod mounted for longitudinal movement; a worm mounted on the rod and havin a connection therewith causin rotation ot the worm upon longitudina movement ot the rod; a worm gear meshing with the rod; and a lever connected with the worm gear to rotate therewith 9. lin combination, a longitudinally movable rod having a spiral groove therein; a bearing mounted concentrically of the rod; a worm journaled in the bearing and disposed around the rod; a feather connection between the worm and groove of the rod so that longitudinal movement of the rod causes the worm to rotate; and a worm gear meshing with the worm.

lin testimony whereot we have signed our names to this specification, on this 3rd day ot April A. D. 1916.

HENRY HELMHUL'EE. CLARENCE C. BERTEAM.

Witnesses:

'lt/l. T. Haomr, @scan B. Wann.

tilt

tit

ttl 

